A Feast for Everyone at Cork on a Fork Fest

Free events, family fun and food experiences continue across Cork City through the weekend, with Cork on a Fork Fest running until Sunday, 16 August 2026.

Cork on a Fork Fest has been in full swing since its opening this week, with food trails, community garden parties and a host of pop-up events taking place across the city.

Highlights so far have included the VQ Shared Table for 500 guests on MacCurtain Street, a special dinner at Cornstore showcasing the talents of the Down Syndrome Youth Club, a Gin and Cheese event at Rebel City Distillery, and a pop-up dinner at Glenbrook Farm, where guests enjoyed spectacular views of the solar eclipse.

With more free events, food experiences and family activities still to come this weekend, Cork City remains the place to be. And if you didn't manage to get tickets for some of the events, don't worry, there are still tickets available, alongside a huge range of free and walk-up events happening across the city.

Organised by Cork City Council, half of this year's 150-plus events are free, with many requiring no advance booking. Activities are taking place in neighbourhoods, parks, libraries, gardens, historic buildings and public spaces across the city, making the festival accessible to visitors of every age and budget.

Cormac Ó Súilleabháin, Director of Services at Cork City Council for City Centre Development and Operations:

"Cork on a Fork Fest is about bringing people together and celebrating the food, places and people that make Cork so special.

It is extremely important to Cork City Council that everyone has an opportunity to take part. You do not need to book a formal dining experience to enjoy the festival. Families can explore the markets, watch a cooking demonstration, meet farm animals or join a free workshop. We want people to come into the city, enjoy the atmosphere and feel that Cork on a Fork belongs to them."

So what's on for the rest of the week?

Today, Friday, the programme includes the free Food For Thought Mini-Symposium at St Peter's, exploring food tourism and storytelling for food businesses, and Flights & Bites at Cork Airport, a free-entry outdoor market featuring local food, coffee, sweet treats, music and festival entertainment.

Elizabeth Fort will provide the atmospheric setting for Fire, Food and Fort from 3pm to 8pm, with live-fire cooking demonstrations, food samples, a market and outdoor games. Other free Friday highlights include Spinning Back the Years at Cork City Library, a herb garden workshop in Douglas Community Park, sustainability activities at St Peter's and Taste of Shandon at the Butter Museum.

On Saturday and Sunday, the heart of Cork City will become the Cork on a Fork Festival Zone. South Main Street, Tuckey Street and Grand Parade will host a pedestrianised Open Streets event, with food and craft stalls, live music, street theatre, giant games, free face painting and animals from Rumley's Farm.

Grand Parade will host two full days of free cooking demonstrations and tastings. Saturday's Consume Cork programme will feature Cork chefs, producers and food personalities, with demonstrations focused on seafood, soda bread, beans, amaranth and reducing food waste. On Sunday, McKennas' Theatre of Food will bring chefs, producers and food experts together for another full day of talks, demonstrations and tastings.

The free SuperValu Family Zone in Bishop Lucey Park will run across both days, with children's cooking workshops, food storytelling, sausage-making demonstrations, seed-bomb activities, farm animals, face painting and giant games. A sensory area will also be available, alongside tastings, competitions and activities with local producers.

The Counting House will open to the public for the first time in years as the festival's Drinks Stage on Saturday, featuring conversations and selected tastings with independent drinks producers. Other Saturday events include the Market Gardens of Cork exhibition at Cork City Library, the RELISH Recipe Book Club at UCC, One Garden, Many Kitchens at Togher Community Garden and an International Tea Ceremony at Nano Nagle Place.

On Sunday, the English Market will open for a rare two-hour Sunday event, giving visitors an opportunity to meet traders and enjoy free demonstrations and tastings celebrating local skills and produce.

St Peter's will host an afternoon of food stories, demonstrations and family entertainment with Grub Circus and Joe McNamee, while the Triskel Talks and Tastings Stage will offer a free programme of food conversations, demonstrations and tastings. Visitors can also take part in a Heritage Seed Swap in the Triskel courtyard.

Beyond the main Festival Zone, younger visitors can discover how bees make honey, create seed bombs, decorate cupcakes, make pizza and pasta, explore food trails and meet the worms helping Hollyhill Library's garden to grow.

Market Lane will also partner with neighbouring charity Feed Cork to provide its clients with two nutritious meals over two days, giving members of the community an opportunity to enjoy good local food during the festival.

Some free events require advance registration and capacity may be limited. Cork on a Fork Fest runs until Sunday, 16 August 2026.

The festival is supported by local businesses, Fáilte Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Visit Cork, Cork Airport, Cork Business Association, LEO Cork City, the Irish Hotels Federation Cork, MTU, Science Ireland, headline sponsor Musgrave and a host of event partners.

For the full programme, booking information and ticket details, visit www.corkonaforkfest.ie.